What Happens to Boy Bands When They Grow up? A Night with Boyz II Men, 98° and NKOTB

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What happens to a boy band when they grow old? Do they age out of matching outfits and group choreography, or are they doomed to repeat the ancient moves until their AARP days? This summer gives us the perfect opportunity to find out, as ’90s stalwarts Boyz II Men, 98 Degreesand New Kids on the Block have teamed up for the arena-spanning Package Tour (yes, that’s right). We were lucky enough to get floor seats when the Package Tour rolled into Brooklyn, and we were able to see how the three boy bands deal with a changing world in three very different ways.

BOYZ II MEN

Boyz II Men open the night, with a shortened set that plays all the hits and left no fat. In their heyday, no one would have called Boyz II Men a boy band—too mature, too technically impressive—but nostalgia has a way of erasing all those old distinctions. They’re still a “classy” group, though, which in this context means they keeps their clothes on; the voices are the show. (Almost every song on their set has an extended coda for Shawn Stockman and the brothers Morris Nathan and Wanja Morris* to show off their vocal gymnastics.) On the Package Tour they play the role of the Sensitive Bachelors, stocking the stage with huge bundles of roses that they throw out to lucky ladies in the audience. When the trio goes a capella, the whole arena gets silent. When they invite the crowd to sing along, Barlcays erupts in a distinctly feminine trill.

98 DEGREES

Unlike Boyz II Men (who never split up) or NKOTB (who reunited years ago), 98 Degrees is using the Package Tour to come back from a long hiatus. You can kind of tell. Their choreography is a bit sloppier, and there’s a sense of glee on the faces of the group’s non-Nick-Lachey members; they’re excited to be back in the spotlight, and they haven’t quite gotten used to it yet.

Of these three, my favorite is Justin Jeffre. Every reunited boy band has one guy who fell prey to the normal aging process, and Jeffre is 98 Degrees’ version. He looks like he should teaching math somewhere, or running your IT department, but instead he’s selling out arenas and doing sexy dance moves alongside three guys who look like Ken dolls. (As we learned when we interviewed the band, he also owns a free newspaper that benefits the homeless and was closely involved in Occupy Cincinnati.) Jeffre is also the only single guy in 98 Degrees, and if you follow his movements throughout the show you’ll realize he spends the most time doing all the crucial connecting-with-the-audience things like making eye contact, pointing and high-fiving. He gives 110% on every pelvic thrust. In other words, he’s awesome.

There’s a reason for all these pelvic thrusts. In their younger days, 98 Degrees was a ballad group, but ballads have all but disappeared from the pop music landscape. (“One Night (Una Noche)” was their sole uptempo hit; when the band play it at Barclays it holds up surprisingly well, its shameless trend-jumping only a memory.) How to hold the audience’s attention? The answer is as old as culture itself: Just show some skin. There’s a decided Magic Mike air to 98 Degrees’ set: loosened ties, suspenders hanging around the waist—these clothes, they’re telling us, are not staying on. Halfway through, the moment comes. The boys strip down to their undershirts and run into the audience, looking for women to serenade. The audience, having expected this, goes wild. (Yes, even for Justin.) What’s greater is that the boys perform in the undershirts for the rest of the set—one of the top acts of the ’90s looking like a bunch of well-muscled Sunday-morning dads.

Elsewhere, there are brief acknowledgements of the time that’s passed since the TRL days; “I Do (Cherish You)” goes out to “all the sexy married ladies out there,” while another song is dedicated to all the dads in the audience. (It was Fathers’ Day.) “It’s a hard job—or so I’ve heard,” quips Justin. For their part, the guys are unfazed by the shoutouts. While some of the husbands and boyfriends didn’t mind sl0w-dancing to Boyz II Men, the most 98 Degrees gets out of them is half-hearted swaying.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

If you don’t follow the Package Tour, you might think that Boyz II Men, 98 Degrees and New Kids on the Block were roughly equal on the boy-band hierarchy. Not so. The other two groups had their fair share of fans, but nothing compared to the way the women of Barclays—young and old—went crazy for NKOTB. From minute one it was clear they were the top dogs on this tour. They had the most fans, the most costume changes, the most songs. They had a robotic voice telling fans that they didn’t need to feel guilty for what would ensue: “I deserve this night.” They had a rotating platform that send them singing into the sky together, and they had five smaller versions of the same so each member could be raised up individually. They had new songs, and not only that, they had new songs that the crowd actually sang along to.

How did NKOTB come to rule the man-band roost? One answer, I think, is the songs. Boyz II Men and 98 Degrees wanted to seduce you with their loving ballads, but the New Kids only wanted to play fun, good-time dance music, exactly the type of music that’s back on the radio today. NKOTB’s hits may have been written when George H.W. Bush was president, but add a 4/4 beat to them and they wouldn’t sound out of place on a Justin Bieber setlist. (Their current single, “Remix (I Like The)” is arguably better than half of what’s played on the radio right now.)

It also helps that the New Kids have been at this since 2008. (Like Britney Spears, they’ve been on the comeback trail longer than they were famous in the first place.) Their showmanship is tight, and everybody knows their roles. Jonathan Knight, always the shy one, is happy staying on the sidelines. Danny Wood is too, as long as he gets a moment in the spotlight to show off his dancing. Joey McIntyre makes the most of his role as the 1A guy, knocking his solo on “Beautiful Girls” out of the park. Jordan Knight has the quiet swagger of a man who’s glad the world agrees he should be famous again.

And Donnie Wahlberg… well, if you only know Donnie Wahlberg as the weird guy from The Sixth Sense, it may be disconcerting to see to go to an NKOTB show and see how the crowd reacts to Donnie Wahlberg. Gone is the gruff character actor—in his place is an odd combination of rapper, master of ceremonies, hype man and sex object. When he wasn’t dropping a “Hello, Broooooooklyn!” in between every song, he was grabbing a camera and taping the show from the stage; when he wasn’t doing that, he was grabbing random women from the audience and making out with them for what seemed like a solid minute. His finest moment may have been “Cover Girl,” a solo performance that he kicked off by doffing his shirt and ended by bending over and slapping his own ass, to roaring cheers.

After 25 years, the New Kids have also turned into top-notch panderers. They know when to do the male stripper thing, flashing their abs and shaking their hips, and they know when to play the bat mitzvah DJs, spicing up their set with brief covers of today’s hits. Sometimes they’ll even do both at once, like when Jordan Knight raised his shirt Situation-style as the band sang LMFAO’s “Sexy and I Know It.” To close out the show, they put on Nets jerseys and had Donnie declare an end to the ancient feud between Boston and Brooklyn that he may have just invented. Then they played a mash-up of “Shipping Up to Boston” and “Empire State of Mind.” Shameless, yes, but you have to remember these guys went 15 years without hearing any cheers. Who can blame them for the milking us of all they could get?

NKOTB, 98 Degrees, Boyz bring harmony, heat

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There's not much the HVAC system can do to cool U.S. Bank Arenaon a hot June night when the place is sold out.

And all a performer such as Donnie Wahlberg can do in such sweaty conditions is run around the stage with his shirt off.

Wahlberg's group New Kids On The Block headlined a three-way boy-band package that also included Boyz II Men and Cincinnati's own 98 Degrees. The two opening acts each delivered professional performances in the boy-band tradition, with much crooning, harmonizing, long-stemmed-rose-tossing and audience hand-holding. ...

NKOTB, 98 Degrees, Boyz II Men deliver whole 'package'

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 "Why the heck are there so many women downtown?"

That's a question I heard from passers-by more than once Friday evening. Aside from a smattering of men accompanying their dolled-up lady, downtown Orlando went boy band crazy.

Well, "man band" is more like it.

New Kids on the Block returned to a jam-packed Amway Center on "The Package" tour, which is about one-third of the way through its run. Boyz II Men and 98 Degrees opened for them.

Although Shawn, Wanya, and Nathan were the first act, they could've near filled up the place on their own. Even 98 Degrees is geeking out to be on tour with their idols. (Watch full interview Monday).

Boyz II Men crooned for about 40 minutes. With harmonies like “On Bended Knee,” "I'll Make Love to You," and “End of the Road," we felt like we were back at school, dancing with our crush for the first time. The Boyz still put the "power" in ballad.

Performing a longer set next was 98 Degrees. And talk about swagger. Even with suspenders draped over their rear ends, the men could've played pat-a-cake without losing a smidge of sex appeal.

So imagine what happened when Nick, Drew, Justin and Jeff walked into the audience and escorted four unsuspecting women on stage. The men not only serenaded them with "You Are My Everything," but squeezed them tightly. And when they got down on one knee -- fuggedaboutit.

Another stand-out song was "I Do (Cherish You)." The buff boys -- having maintained their most admirable physique -- stripped down to thin white tank tops. The response was deafening. But unlike the screams generated during a Bieber concert, these weren't annoying.

That's probably because I joined in.

Before NKOTB came out, we stepped away to grab some grub and refreshments. The instant that Joey, Jordan, Danny, Donnie and John opened their mouths, I've never seen so many 30-somethings sprint and squeal simultaneously, making a beeline for the stairs.

Funny how things don't change 25 years later.

The New Kids performed for about 2 hours. Wearing white blazers, sparkly "Boston Strong" shirts, and - at times - a shirtless Donnie Wahlberg with a blinged out belt, the men created hysteria.

The gyrations during "The Right Stuff" were probably more, let's say, "pronounced" than they were a few decades ago. After all, we aren't kids anymore.

Luckily for fans, the New Kids utilized the center stage quite a bit, creating a greater sense of intimacy. They were elevated by individual risers at times, which seemed to enhance the emotion of the song. The stage also spun, allowing the audience to "have a moment" with their favorite New Kid.

The choreography seemed effortless. After all, if you're an original boy bander, those slow, dramatic arm movements and clenched fists against the heart should be second-nature.

The youngest member, Joey McIntyre, kept reminding the audience that "it's been 25 years!" One of his strongest songs as a higher-pitched kid was "Please Don't Go Girl." When he performed it Friday, Joey was lifted high above the crowd, dropping to his knees to hit the tough notes.

He nailed it.

Needless to say, the boys - ahem, men - could do no wrong.

98 Degrees talks 'Microphone,' families, and 'Praise Jesus!' fan reactions

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It was 5 p.m. Friday, two-and-a-half hour before show time. Our cameraman and I were waiting backstage for 98 Degrees. Suddenly, a deafening "Eeeeeeeeek!," "Yea Baby!!!" and a  "Whoo whoo!" permeated the office walls.

The source of those vocal bursts of extraordinary excitement was a group of 6-inch heeled women in their 30s. No one was without a beer. Some were double-fisting. They were 'taking the edge off' on their way to the meet-n'-greet.

Watch out boys because here they come.

Heaven only knows what happened in that meet-n'-greet, but everyone survived. Like the slow-motion intro to "Baywatch," Nick, Drew, Jeff and Justin strutted down the hall toward us.

Smooshed into a corner of a production office, we cozied up for a chat.

ALLISON WALKER: First of all, Jeff, it's good to see you back here, my friend! We've run into each other a few times at Full Sail.

JEFF TIMMONS: I'm a big fan of the university. I love Orlando. This is obviously the home of boy bands, although we're not from here. We didn't spawn from here. We're Ohio guys, but I'm a big fan of the area, big supporter ofFull Sail University. I love the university.

AW: Are you geek-ing out that you are following Boyz II Men on "The Package" tour?

DREW LACHEY: Yea, for us, Boyz II Men is probably the single largest influence on us musically, and us getting together and singing - period. So for us to be on tour with them, regardless, is a huge honor. The order of this tour doesn't really make a difference to any of us. We're all going out, performing for the fans, having a great time. To be on the same bill as Boyz II Men and New Kids on the Block -- you couldn't ask for anything better than that.

AW: How do you travel? 3 luxurious buses?

JUSTIN JEFFRE: We have 3 different buses. Jeff has a big family and these guys each have wives and kids. [The buses] accommodate the families. I'm with some of our wonderful crew members, but it's a lot of fun. We get to spend enough time around each other. So we're always together.

AW: Nick and Drew, do you know the name Chip Foose?

DREW LACHEY: Yea, very well!

AW: [Showing them a sketch by Foose] He recently came to town for Car Masters Weekend. I know that you two were on his show "Overhaulin'."

NICK LACHEY: Drew had a truck, a Ford F100 - '67. It needed some TLC. So we surprised him for his birthday and went on "Overhaulin'" with it and Chip did his thing with the truck and completely pimped it out.

AW: I want to talk about "Microphone" real quickly. Would that have ever made it onto your debut album back in '98?

JEFF TIMMONS: Obviously, you have good mic technique. So you've been studying the song. You're putting the mic up to your lips and are doing the best you can. So I think it's just about -- it transcends generations, learning how to use a microphone.

NICK: It's very important.

AW: Er, shifting gears  --  I understand you bring up 4 lucky women on stage during the show?

DREW: There is a rumor that we bring up girls occasionally on stage.

AW: Say if that rumor came true, I imagine you have very interesting reactions.

NICK: Some people freak out. We've had some cryers. We've had some 'Oh Praise Jesus!' We've had some -- some people just kind of sit there --

DREW: We've had some cinematographers.

NICK: Yea, some people just do video. So it's interesting to see how the different people react to that moment. I mean, they're up there in front of 17-18,000 people. Some people relish it. Some people get completely intimidated by it. It's a lot of fun for us.

98 Degrees hoping to re-energize fan base at Summerfest

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The New Kids came back during a boy band dry spell, potentially triggering the new boy band boom led by One Direction, the Wanted and Big Time Rush.

But there's one boy band it deliberately had a hand in bringing back to the world: its current tour opener 98 Degrees.

The R&B-heavy boy band — featuring Jeff Timmons, Justin Jeffre and Lachey brothers Nick and Drew — saw its 1998 sophomore album ,"98° and Rising," go platinum four times over, but it went on hiatus in 2002.

"There was no official falling out," Timmons said. "We had been on the road forever...and I wanted to be with my family and learn how to produce music."

After the split, the guys pursued their own stage and music projects, and the Lacheys most notably stayed in the spotlight through reality TV hits such as "Dancing With the Stars" and "Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica."

Then last year, the New Kids asked the group to reunite and join the Package Tour. 98 Degrees made an appearance at the Mixtape Festival in Hershey, Pa., last August to "test the water...and the fans' response was great," Timmons said.

But the group wanted to have some new music to help "re-energize the fan base and to try to cater to a new fan base," so it rushed to get new album "2.0" out in May. Recording began just two months prior.

Some responses haven't been positive, particularly for lead single "Microphone," and the album was the group's lowest-charting release in its first week.

"But at least we made the Billboard 200," Timmons said. "That surprised me."

"Any artist who tells you that negative feedback doesn't bother them is lying," he added. "Over the last 10 to 12 years, we're better than we were before. We're better vocally, we're better on stage. We bring a lot more seasoning to the table."

Jeff Timmons dishes on upcoming Amway Center 'Package Tour' concert

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ALLISON WALKER: So what's your connection with Full Sail, Jeff?

JEFF TIMMONS: Full Sail's publicist has been a friend of mine for a long time. She knows I have a passion for the arts. The kids here are great. A lot of creatives. Just the philosophy at Full Sail University is amazing. I think it's the best kept secret in entertainment. Any time I can come back, speak, and teach the students some stuff -- they teach me some stuff [too] -- I jump at the opportunity.

AW: The buzz over The Package Tour is mighty loud. What did you do when  you learned you'd be touring with NKOTB and Boyz II Men?

JT: When I started 98 Degrees, I modeled the band after Boyz II Men. I was a huge fan of the band and we wanted to be signed to Motown like Boyz II Men was signed. We got discovered at a Boyz II Men concert. And you know, New Kids on the Block is legendary. Their track record speaks for itself. But to be with Boyz II Men, to sit next to them in the press junket and everything, I was in heaven. I'm a huge fan, so to be sharing the stage with them is a great, great honor.

AW: There's gotta be some kind of rivalry, no?

JT: I don't think so. The tour and the "package" spans three generations of music. There was New Kids in the 80s and early 90s, and Boyz II Men was mid-90s, and then we came out late 90s, early 2000s. So I don't think there was a competitive vibe going on within the groups, but, you know--

AW: Are you sure?

JT: [Laughing] Yea! I mean, everybody has a mutual respect for each other. I think collectively it's close to 200-million records sold. We'll all just happy to be, 20 years later, still in the business and still selling tickets and doing shows.

AW: Give us the structure of The Package Tour. I hear you have a 40-minute set before the headliners [NKOTB]?

JT: That's exactly right. I think Boyz II Men goes on. They have 40 minutes, we have 40 minutes. Then New Kids has the full show. Yea, we're supporting the New Kids on this tour.

AW: Any chance you're going to sport those old outfits?

JT: I think we're going to keep those in retirement - the spacesuits, the firemen outfits, the catcher's gear. I don't know why we wore those! But somebody told us that was cool. I think we're going to try to be a little more sophisticated this time around - a little more mature.

AW: Will we ever see you at gigs around Orlando?

JT: Well you're getting me the gig.

AW: I am. I'm working on it.

JT: You're hooking it up.

AW: I could be your booking agent.

JT: That's right. Booking agent and new manager slash reporter [laughing].

Jeff Timmons and 98 Degrees return

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Stark County had a direct link to the ’90s boy-band scene in Jeff Timmons, a 1991 Washington High School grad.

Timmons was part of 98 Degrees, a pop-R&B foursome known for creamy vocal harmonies and dreamy All-American looks. The guys scored hits with “Because of You,” “The Hardest Thing,” “I Do (Cherish You),” “Thank God I Found You” and “Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche),” and sold more than 10 million albums in the U.S.

After the group unceremoniously broke apart in late 2001, Timmons released a solo album titled “Whisper This Way,” toured with Jim Brickman, appeared in a VH1 reality series “Mission: Man Band,” hosted the Miss USA 2011 pageant and did a guest-star stint with Chippendales in Las Vegas.

Timmons’ bandmates, all Cincinnati natives, have stayed in the spotlight. Nick Lachey starred in a high-profile VH1 reality series, “Newlyweds,” with his then-wife Jessica Simpson, released a hit solo album, “What’s Left of Me,” and hosted an NBC singing-competition series “The Sing-Off.” Drew Lachey, Nick’s brother, won season two of TV’s “Dancing With the Stars” and appeared on Broadway in “Monty Python’s Spamalot.” And Justin Jeffre ran for mayor of Cincinnati.

Now reunited and with a new album titled “2.0,” 98 Degrees will appear in concert with New Kids on the Block and Boyz II Men on June 9 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. Here, Timmons talks about being 40 and back on the boy-band scene.

Q. This is the first 98 Degrees tour since 2001, how are rehearsals going?
A. “We’re a little older, of course. But I think the fact that we’ve been doing stuff on our own has made the group better vocally and in the performing aspects as well. We had to hone our craft. Before it was always the other guys onstage, and you didn’t have to be ‘on’ at all times. I think we’re way better than before. We’re more relaxed, more seasoned, we’re all bringing our own flavors. It’s not so structured.”

Q. I bet you’re glad to not be one of those super choreographed groups. That might really make you feel old.
A. “We’re actually dancing a little more than in the past. We’ve stepped up that part of our game. But we’ve all kept in pretty good shape. I think a couple of us are in the best shape of our lives.”

Q. What’s it like touring with New Kids and Boyz II Men? Did you know these guys already?
A. “I know Jordan (Knight from NKOTB) fairly well, and Drew’s great friends with Joey (McIntyre, also from NKOTB) from when they were on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ together. Nick knows Boyz II Men from ‘The Sing-Off.’  We had this real cool press junket with the groups. Having Boyz II Men next to me was incredible. They’re the reason we formed a group in the first place.”

Q. And you’ve just released a new 98 Degrees album. What’s it like?
A. “After we decided to get back together, we thought we should do some new music. We knocked it out fairly quickly. We didn’t write anything this time. We had a couple hundred songs to pick from. We’re blessed to have a song by Bruno Mars called ‘Long Way Home.’ We’ve got a song by Ne-Yo called ‘Lonely.’ We’ve got a whole diverse array of things. There’s some throwback stuff; one kinda sounds like Michael Jackson. There’s some contemporary dance vibe. It’s more well-rounded than our albums in the past.”

Q. Have you kept in close touch with Nick, Drew and Justin all these years?
A. “We did but not as much as we should’ve. Three of us have kids. Nick was doing stuff with Jessica, then hosting ‘The Sing-Off.’ Drew did ‘Dancing with the Stars.’ Justin was doing politics. I did my solo record, and I went and stripped in Chippendales — that was a blast. But now we’re closer than ever. We were working so hard the first time, it was difficult to take a breath and take it all in.”

Q. You did Chippendales and a reality series (“Mission: Man Band”). Were you just trying to hang in there?
A. “I had some rough times. I had a really difficult first marriage. My ex-wife was extraordinarily difficult, and I had a custody battle that took me a good 10 years. I was doing work when I could, just hanging in there to pay the bills. My new wife is amazing.”

Q. Do you have more than one child?
A. “I’ve got four kids now. I have one with my previous wife, two stepkids from my new wife, and we just had a kid.”

Q. And you live in Vegas. What’s that like for a family?
A. “We live 20 minutes from the Vegas strip. It’s pretty normal suburban life. It could be anywhere except it’s hot.”

Q. Congratulations about the reunion and the album and the tour. You sound like a happy man.
A. “I’m sitting here in this arena and it’s huge. It’s really hitting me. We’re really lucky to be able to have a second chance at this, on this big tour with our idols. Our last show was on 9/11 (2001), and the band never had any closure.”

Q. When were you last in the Massillon area?
A. “I was there two or three years ago to visit my buddies. It’s always nice to go back and get a welcoming response. I’d like to do a gig performing there with 98 Degrees. I would love for us to play my hometown one time.”  

A chat with Stark County’s Jeff Timmons about his band’s reunion tour, album

98 Degrees' Recipe For Package Tour: A 'Hot And Steamy' Boy-Band Casserole

Sandwiches will also be served — a New Kids on the Block and Boyz II Men sandwich, that is.

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Break out your vintage homemade signs and t-shirts, the Package Tourkicks off this week. And with the New Kids on the Block, 98 Degreesand Boyz II Men ready to belt out some of their biggest hits, it's bound to be every fan's dream.

It all kicks off Tuesday (May 28) in Uncasville, Connecticut, and will circle around North America, before wrapping up August 4 Indianapolis, Indiana. 98 Degrees are pretty stoked to be in the middle of a BIIM and NKOTB sandwich night after night.

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"Well, we like to say, if New Kids on the Block and Boyz II Men had a child, it would be us," Drew Lachey told MTV News of playing second every night. "We kind of, in a lot of ways, took our inspiration from Boyz II Men — their harmony sound and things like that — [and] obviously New Kids On The Block, the way they pioneered the genre. So it really is just an honor to be on this tour in general. We said this tour is all about the fans coming out, giving them a fantastic show. It's gonna be basically three hours of hits. It's our job to come out and make sure you leave with a smile on your face."

Nick Lachey added, "We feel like we're part R&B [group] and we ended up being part boy band. We were kind of caught in the middle, so it's almost symbolic that were sandwiched between these two groups on this show." (Each night BIIM will take the stage first, followed by 98 and then NKOTB.)

If you think the fans are just in the audience, think again. The guys are also looking forward to watching the sets from their tourmates. "But that's the great thing about this particular show; even being a part of the show we appreciate how cool it is to be a part of the show. We're huge fans of both those groups," Nick said. "Boyz II Men, we can't emphasize enough, is literally the biggest inspiration we had. So to be on a tour with them, and New Kids for that matter, is kind of surreal for us."

What Kind Of Surprises Are NKOTB Planning For The Package Tour?

Sure, the guys want to bust out newer 2.0 tunes like "Microphone," but know that they also have to include hits like "The Hardest Thing" and "Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)," so Drew notes, "You find a balance. It's like a recipe. How much of each ingredient do you put in? More like a casserole, hot and steamy."

Justin Jeffre joked, "It is going to be tasty," with Nick continuing, "There's enough for everybody."

98 Degrees, New Kids On The Block, BoyzIIMen talking on the Today Show about #ThePackageTour (video)

Talking about the Boston Strong Benefit Concert, getting back together after 12 years, and the tour.

Jeff,Justin,Nick,Drew on the Today Show singing "The Hardest Thing" (Video)

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98 Degrees The Package Tour Opening Night-Una Noche(Video)-Mohegan Sun

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Jeff on Sun FM (Audio)

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After more than 10 years on an extended hiatus, 98 Degrees are back with new music, and even an upcoming tour. This summer they're hitting the road with the New Kids on the Block and Boys II Men with the highly anticipated "The Package Tour."

Alright, go ahead and get your boy band "package" jokes out of the way. No really, it's cool. I'll wait...

...

Okay, good! So the new album from 98 Degrees is called "2.0" and it's available online and in stores now. Yesterday Jeff Timmonsfrom the group called me up for a chat. We talk about the new material, his stint in the Chippendales, what he thinks of the new generation of boy bands, and he even reveals a surprising truth about Jessica Simpson.

98 Degrees, '2.0' Album: Boy Band To Release New Music

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The '90s revival continues! 98 Degrees announced Wednesday that the boy band will release its first album in more than ten years.
Led by Nick Lachey, 98 Degrees will drop "2.0" on May 7, 13 years after the release of the group's last album of new material, 2000's "Revelation."
"We are really excited to bring our fans new music and get out on the road," Nick Lachey said in a statement. "This is a long time coming."
Just weeks after the release of "2.0," 98 Degrees will hit the road with Boyz II Men and New Kids on the Block for "The Package Tour," hitting major U.S. cities before wrapping in Minneapolis on July 13.
"We're excited to get back together and doing what we do," Lachey said about the tour. "We feel reinvigorated by our bond and by our group, so we're very excited by that."
"Revelation" performed well for 98 Degrees, reaching No. 2 on Billboard's Top 200 Chart and providing singles such as "Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)" and "My Everything."

Jeff Timmons: 98 Degrees Reunion 'Brings Back A Lot of Great Memories'

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Teenyboppers of the 90s, rejoice!

98 Degrees is back in the studio and reliving old times. Nick and Drew Lachey, Jeff Timmons and Justin Jeffre have reunited for the first time since September 2001.
"We took a break, but we never broke up," Timmons told PEOPLE at the Full Sail University Hall of Fame celebration on Friday. "We always thought we'd get back together someday."

"When we first got together, we started singing acapella," said Timmons, 39. "It felt very natural. We're all friendly. We haven't kept in touch like we should have, but when we get together, it's like old times."

Timmons adds that the group isn't resting on their laurels, they're back in the studio, working on new music. "We've all developed different sounds," he added. "I'm more R&B. A couple of the other guys are more pop. So it's fun to put us together and see what we come up with."

But while they're working on a new sound, they'll still perform many of their old songs this summer when they embark on The Package Tour, a joint tour with New Kids on the Block and Boyz II Men.

"That's what people remember us for," Timmons said. "I think our most popular song is 'I Do,' which still gets played at weddings. But people also like 'The Hardest Thing.' We'll definitely give them what they want."

He continued, "Obviously, a lot has happened since we were together. Of course Nick [Lachey] became a huge celebrity when he was with Jessica Simpson and they did Newlyweds. Drew [Lachey] did Dancing with the Stars. Justin Jeffre is into politics. And I'm doing a lot of producing and just being a dad. I'm also hosting a Vegas review called 'Men of the Strip.' It has already been cast, and will go into production as a reality show this summer."

As the group prepares to embark on their tour, Timmons insists there will be a lot of nostalgia – not only for the fans, but for the members of 98 Degrees.

"It was a crazy time when we were together in the 90s," he said. "Getting together with the guys, it all comes flooding back. It brings back a lot of great memories from that era – and I'm looking forward to creating new ones."

98 Degrees, New Kids on the Block and Boys II Men Talk Package Tour

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One of the biggest boy-band collaborations is coming to a city near you!
The guys from New Kids on the Block, Boys II Men and 98 Degrees have all come together for the blowout summer tour which kicks off May 31 in Connecticut, but before the boys hit the road, they sat down with E! News' Alicia Quarles to talk about the Package tour, how it came about and, of course, the screaming fans.
Which has got to be getting old by now, right? Wrong.

 never gets old, never gets old. Feels the same," the group answered, with Jordan Knight adding, "We love it, that's why we do it—one of the reasons."
Donnie Wahlberg then made the distinction that, "Men and women are different. Men go onstage and women scream, and we wanna hear it forever. Women walk down the street and a guy goes, ‘Yo, yo, yo!' Girls get sick of it. They don't wanna get hit on."
Well, he has a point.
As far as getting these groups together, Wahlberg shared that, "This was the discussion, there was no reaching out to 20 groups and see who wants to show up. It was, ‘Let's put this tour together with these three groups,' and fortunately, we were able to make it all work."
Prince slams Madonna and Maroon 5
And regardless of how busy each singer was with their personal life or other jobs, this was an offer they couldn't refuse.
"The opportunity to be a part of something like this," Jeff Timmons said, "I mean, you're talking about groups who have, collectively, sold hundreds of millions of records, and of course, we all have families and stuff like that and we're gonna hopefully bring them on the road, but it's just an opportunity that we just couldn't pass up, I don't think."
Nathan Morris then simply stated, "This is one of those one times, where all men fall in love with one woman, which is music."

NKOTB Recruit Boyz II Men, 98 Degrees For 'Package' Summer Tour

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NKOTB and 98 Degrees also announce plans for new music. 

 The New Kids on the Block are ready to blow your minds again. The guys will hit the road this summer, and they are bringing along some friends. They have recruited Boyz II Men and the recently reunited 98 Degrees to join them on the trek billed as the Package Tour.

The tour kicks off on May 31 in Uncasville, Connecticut, and will then travel around the country with stops in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Nashville and more. The tour wraps up on July 13 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

"Ladies, we're coming for you," NKOTB's Donnie Wahlberg said in a statement. "This is going to be the craziest year yet — the single, the album, the tour with 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men ... We can't wait to give fans 'The Package!' "
But Donnie isn't the only boy-bander ready for the tour. 98 Degrees are also up for the challenge as they prepare for the opening slot on the tour. They reunited last year, playing the NKOTB-headlined Mixtape Festival last summer. "We are really excited to get back on the road together and tour with our friends in NKOTB and Boyz II Men," Nick Lachey said. "Looking forward to playing our hits and trying out some of our new tracks too."
"We couldn't be more excited to join New Kids on the Block and 98 Degrees on 'The Package Tour,' " BIIM member Shawn Stockman said. "This summer is going to be fun and fans will not want to miss it."
The guys — including all the members of NKOTB, 98 Degrees and BIIM — appeared on "The View" on Tuesday (January 22) to formally announce the trek. "We're going to be headlining a tour alone. Our fans have been waiting for us to be onstage as just the five of us," Donnie said of going at it without the guys of the Backstreet Boys this time around, before the room went crazy for the news that all the guys would be hitting the road together. This isn't the first time NKOTB have combined boy-band forces. They toured with the Backstreet Boys in 2011 under the moniker NKOTBSB. The groups not only performed parts of the hit-packed set solo but also as a ninesome. Jordan Knight said, "These guys are classic. To have two great groups from the '90s come on tour with us ... we're getting a lot of people involved to come to the show."
"We've been so inspired in our career by both of these groups," Lachey added about the opportunity to tour with the two boy bands. The group also confirmed they are working on new music.
Declaring themselves the "Dirty Dozen," BIIM confirmed they will be up first during the tour, followed by 98 and then NKOTB.
But wait, there's more. The guys in NKOTB have new music on the way. They will drop their next album, 10, on April 2. Its first single, "Remix (I Like The)," will hit the streets on January 28.

 

Boy Bands Are Back For 2013

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Forget NKOTBSB.
The new '90s boy band mashup is NKOTBSBBIIM98D.
Okay, so maybe that doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but we're still excited: The New Kids on the Block confirmed that they're going out on yet another tour — this time with openers Boyz II Men and 98 Degrees.

Yes, you read that right: 98 Degrees is officially getting back together with all four original members — Nick Lachey, Drew Lachey, Justin Jeffre and Jeff Timmons — for a tour starting May 31 in Uncasville, Connecticut.

"It just seems like we are getting better and better," NKOTB singer Joey McIntyre told People while confirming the news. "We're excited to get out there, rock out and have fun."
The tour will coincide with the release of NKOTB's new album, 10, scheduled for release on April 2.
So, why add Boyz II Men and 98 Degrees to the bill? It's a win-win situation for all.
"There is a lot of nostalgia and we embrace that," McIntyre added. "But it always feels young and fresh. I guess that's one of the great things about being in the music business is that you never have to quite grow up."
 Nick and the rest of the 98 Degrees guys haven't publicly commented yet, but last year he told Fanhattan.com that NKOTB's reunion sort of pushed them toward a reunion.
"You see them go out and do that and have fun and have success, but we always said, 'You know, we leave the door open on the reunion. We’ve never broken up. We’re just taking a break,'" the new dad said. "For us it was more about the timing being right, everyone’s schedule being in the right place and I think now we’re at the place where that’s actually starting to happen."
And we can't wait.

Red Carpet Confidential: NKOTB Ready 98 Degrees & Boyz II Men For Waffle House Fun

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Not only will New Kids On The Block, 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men hit the road together this spring on The Package Tour, but the three supergroups will also show up at NKOTB’s signature Waffle House Party — and everyone is invited.
“The Waffle House is where we stop late at night because nobody’s there,” Donnie Wahlberg, 43, says Tuesday during their warmup event held Tuesday at NYC’s Irving Plaza. “I know ya’ll eat a lot of waffles and hash browns.”
He adds, “I promise you the first stop on the tour that has a Waffle House within 50 miles, we’re going. We’re going to hold up the parking lot, and it’s not going to stop until about 5 a.m. How’s that?”

Not only will New Kids On The Block, 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men hit the road together this spring on The Package Tour, but the three supergroups will also show up at NKOTB’s signature Waffle House Party — and everyone is invited.
“The Waffle House is where we stop late at night because nobody’s there,” Donnie Wahlberg, 43, says Tuesday during their warmup event held Tuesday at NYC’s Irving Plaza. “I know ya’ll eat a lot of waffles and hash browns.”
He adds, “I promise you the first stop on the tour that has a Waffle House within 50 miles, we’re going. We’re going to hold up the parking lot, and it’s not going to stop until about 5 a.m. How’s that?”

During the warmup event, the twelve members of NKOTB, 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men stand together onstage for the first time.
Turns out, between the three acts, they claim to have 45 hit singles, which will make for a whopping 3 ½ hour show.
Although the tour doesn’t kick off until May 31, they are elated to perform. NKOTB sing If You Go Away as Donnie and Jon Knight joke around onstage, laughing, and Joe McIntyre stretches out the high note on Please Don’t Go Girl, saying “I know they love me because they haven’t walked off yet.”
Hm, why bring 98 Degrees on the road this year? After tagging Jeff Timmons as a “stud muffin” and Nick Lachey as an “international superstar,” they get real.
“They’re incredible,” Jordan Knight, 42, says. “Seriously. They’re great guys, they haven’t performed together in ten years, they’re walking a similar path that we did in coming back together after a long time. We love these guys, we respect these guys, they’re great guys, and our fans love these guys, so why not 98 Degrees?”
With that, 98 Degrees head out to perform Invisible Man and The Hardest Thing. The guys express their sincere appreciation, and promise to give 100%. Next up, Boyz II Men roll through Water Runs Dry and I’ll Make Love To You. Wow, both 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men can really sing!

 For The Package Tour, which runs through July 13, Donnie promises surprise guests but swears that Backstreet Boys won’t return. The guys, dubbed NKOTBSB, toured together in 2011.
Hm, will see [his brother] Marky Mark [Wahlberg]? After all, before he went Hollywood and became a big movie star, we knew him as the one-hit wonder who sang the 1991 hit Good Vibrations with his Funky Bunch.
“Who?” Donnie asks me, before moving on to the next question.

And will NKOTB, 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men perform a song together?
“I don’t know,” says Donnie. “How’s that?”
One thing is certain: There will be new music, not just classic tunes, from all three groups during the concerts.
“We worked so hard on this album,” Jordan says, referring to their new offering, 10, which hits stores April 2. “It’s going to take you on a journey — you’re going to feel joy, you’re going to feel pain, you’re going to feel a lot of stuff you experienced, and I’m sure you’ll be able to relate to it, because we’ve all been through a lot of stuff.”
Plus, as the guys won’t let eventgoers forget, “12 packages.”